N-acetylcysteine mitigates oxidative damage to the ovary in D-galactose-induced ovarian failure in rabbits

• Published in: Molecular biology reports Vol. 51; no. 1; p. 1008
• Main Authors: Xue, Yu, Bian, Huafeng, Bai, Shaocheng, Bao, Zhiyuan, Wang, Lei, Wang, Sen, Zhao, Bohao, Wu, Xinsheng, Chen, Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetylcysteine; Acetylcysteine - pharmacology; Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Animals; Antioxidants - metabolism; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Catalase - metabolism; D-Galactose; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Females; Galactose; Galactose - adverse effects; Galactose - pharmacology; Glutathione - metabolism; Granulosa Cells - drug effects; Granulosa Cells - metabolism; Histology; Life Sciences; Morphology; Original Article; Ovaries; Ovary - drug effects; Ovary - metabolism; Ovary - pathology; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency - chemically induced; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency - metabolism; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency - pathology; Rabbits; Reproductive status; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; D-galactose; Ovarian failure; Oxidative damage; N-acetylcysteine
• ISSN: 0301-4851; 1573-4978; 1573-4978
• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09951-2

Background Oxidative damage to the ovaries is the primary cause of impaired reproductive functions in female animals. This study aimed to investigate the protective role of N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) in reducing oxidative damage in the ovaries of female rabbits. Methods and results Female rabbit ovaries were treated in vitro with varying concentrations of D-galactose (D-gal): 0, 5, 10, and 15 mg/mL, and it was found that 10 mg/mL D-gal significantly disrupted follicular structures, causing disarray in granulosa cell arrangements and significantly reducing T-SOD and GSH levels ( p  <  0.01 ). Consequently, we selected 10 mg/mL D-gal to establish an ovarian failure model. These models were treated with multiple doses of NAC (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 mg/mL). The results revealed that the disruption in granulosa cell arrangement caused by 10 mg/mL D-gal was effectively alleviated by 0.1 mg/mL NAC compared to the D-gal treatment group. Furthermore, 10 mg/mL D-gal significantly ( p  < 0.01) reduced GSH, T-SOD, and catalase (CAT) levels in the ovaries. However, 0.1 mg/mL NAC effectively ( p  < 0.01) suppressed these adverse effects. Moreover, the current results showed that 10 mg/mL D-gal alone significantly ( p  < 0.01) downregulated the expression of Nrf2, GPX, PRDX4, GSR, SOD1 , and TAF4B , whereas 0.1 mg/mL NAC counteracted these suppressive effects ( p  < 0.01). Conclusions It could be concluded that NAC may delay ovarian failure by reducing D-gal-induced ovarian oxidative damage in female rabbit, suggested NAC could be a promising therapeutic agent for protecting against ovarian failure and potentially delaying ovarian failure in female rabbits.